Indeed, last year's defeat to the Patriot League champions fueled returning Blue Devils throughout offseason workouts. They had played poorly, especially on defense, and coach Mike Krzyzewski openly questioned their toughness.

But Krzyzewski and his players, surely following his lead, insist the Lehigh scars are irrelevant to Friday's Midwest Regional encounter.

"Our team's motivation is something bigger than the way last year's season ended," senior center Mason Plumlee said.

"If we keep looking back at our experiences, then we would really get overconfident," Krzyzewski said, "because we've won four national championships and been to 11 Final Fours. There's no need to go back to good or bad experiences because not all these guys were involved in that.

"The best thing to do is to be involved in this experience, and we're not reminding the seniors that they've won a national championship when they were freshmen. … My feeling is, stay in this moment."

Points well-taken. But certainly last season reminds veterans such as Plumlee, Seth Curry, Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook of postseason's potholes — regardless of the opponent.

Like Lehigh last season, Albany (24-10) has never won an NCAA tournament game — Duke has won 96. The Great Danes are 0-2, their most recent early exit to Virginia in 2007.

Moreover, Albany was merely the America East's fifth-place team during the regular season before winning three games by a combined seven points in the conference tournament. And while seniors Mike Black and Jacob Iati give the Great Danes solid backcourt play, neither approaches guard C.J. McCollum, the NBA prospect from Lehigh who tormented the Blue Devils for 30 points last season.

In short, this is a clash Duke (27-5) should win comfortably, last week's ACC tournament quarterfinal loss to Maryland notwithstanding.

"With a healthy Ryan Kelly … I think they're the best basketball team in the NCAA tournament," Brown said. "They score from all five positions. It's tough to simulate Duke in practice because we don't have that size, that length, that athleticism."

Last week's Maryland setback was Duke's first in 19 games with Kelly, a 6-foot-11 forward, available. The Blue Devils were 9-4 in contests he missed with a right foot injury. Similarly, Duke went 1-2 last season without Kelly, sidelined for the final three games, also with a foot ailment.

"We've had a team that at points in the season has been the best … in the country," Plumlee said. "We feel very confident going into this tournament."

Plumlee believes the Blue Devils were at their best in November and December, when they defeated Kentucky, Minnesota, VCU, Louisville, Ohio State and Temple. The latter five made the NCAA tournament.

"I think we're heading (back) in that direction," Plumlee said.

The only NCAA tournament team Albany has played was Ohio State, on the road in early November. The Great Danes played an exceptional opening 15 minutes before losing 82-60. Two nights later, they won at Washington.

"We know we're going to have to play unbelievably well just to be in the game," Albany forward Sam Rowley said.

So enthused by the Duke pairing were Rowley's parents and brother that they immediately booked flights to Philadelphia — from Sydney, Australia.

No matter the hassles of spontaneous international travel. No matter that Rowley's brother had recent surgery and requires an additional seat so he can prop up his repaired foot.

This is the NCAA tournament, and this is Duke. The lone family member left behind, and none too happy about it, is Rowley's twin sister, who has school obligations.

"You can't be taken aback by who they are and what they've done," Rowley said of Duke. "None of that matters when you get out on the court. And I think we do a good job of that as a team. … They're going to want to end this early."

No question, the longer underdogs remain competitive, the more assured they become.

Entering the ACC tournament, Duke was undefeated with Ryan Kelly in the lineup. And thanks in large measure to Kelly, the Blue Devils led the conference by wide margins in 3-point shooting percentage and 3-point defense.